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Organic Authority - organic food, organic living, green living, organic thoughts.Thu, 17 Aug 2017 17:10:15 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.4FDA Approves First Weight Loss Drug Since the Fen-Phen Fiascohttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/fda-approves-first-weight-loss-drug-since-the-fen-phen-fiasco/
Thu, 28 Jun 2012 19:33:20 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=11070Approval of the nation’s first weight loss drug in 13 years came by way of the FDA earlier this week with the authorization of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc’s Belviq. Federal regulations have been exceptionally strict on weight loss drugs particularly since the drug known as “fen-phen” was pulled from the market in 1997 due to record […]

Approval of the nation’s first weight loss drug in 13 years came by way of the FDA earlier this week with the authorization of Arena Pharmaceuticals Inc’s Belviq.

Federal regulations have been exceptionally strict on weight loss drugs particularly since the drug known as “fen-phen” was pulled from the market in 1997 due to record high cases of illnesses and deaths associated with the drug.

Belviq (chemically lorcaserin) is designed to decrease hunger by suppressing appetite signals in the brain that would make individuals feel hungry after eating small amounts of food. According to the manufacturer, clinical trials of Belviq saw patients losing about 5 percent of their body weight on the drug. And the FDA will enforce a warning on the product stating that it should be discontinued if after 12 weeks on Belviq patients still have not lost at least 5 percent of their total body weight. The drug is only approved for individuals with a BMI (body mass index) of 30 or greater, which is considered clinically obese, or if a combination of a 27 BMI and another weight-related illness such as type-2 diabetes or high cholesterol is present.

As obesity rates continue to climb across the nation, putting pressure on public health and the economy, regulators have been looking to offer a safe medical solution to the crisis. A recent study found that obesity related health problems costs the U.S. nearly $200 billion in medical expenses annually even despite widespread efforts to alter Americans’ eating habits and lifestyle choices.

]]>New Diet Pill Qnexa Is Fat on Controversyhttp://www.organicauthority.com/blog/organic/new-magic-bullet-diet-pill-qnexa-is-fat-on-controversy/
Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:00:29 +0000http://www.organicauthority.com/blog/?p=10813For the first time in more than a dozen years, an FDA advisory panel has given its approval of an anti-obesity drug to the agency for consideration. The drug, called Qnexa, was first rejected by the FDA in 2010, and is similar to several other diet pills, including the controversial Fen Phen, which was pulled […]

For the first time in more than a dozen years, an FDA advisory panel has given its approval of an anti-obesity drug to the agency for consideration.

The drug, called Qnexa, was first rejected by the FDA in 2010, and is similar to several other diet pills, including the controversial Fen Phen, which was pulled from the market in 1997 for serious health risks including valvular heart disease and pulmonary hypertension and adverse side effects such as an increased risk of birth defects. Qnexa’s active ingredients, the stimulant Phemtermine (also found in Fen Phen) and Topiramate, which has a history of use as an anti-convulsant drug, reportedly aid in weight loss by decreasing the user’s appetite and boosting metabolism. According to clinical trials, as many as 70 percent of Qnexa users lost at least 5 percent of their total body weight versus the control group where fewer than 20 percent lost as much.

While the FDA can rule against the recommendation of the advisory panel, speculations suggest Qnexa will be approved, and has the potential to be the “next Lipitor” with millions of possible prescriptions distributed mainly to revitalize the ailing sector of the pharmaceutical industry that hasn’t produced a successful anti-obesity drug in over a decade. If it were to be approved, parent company Vivus says it will be with “limited distribution” and a requirement of “trained prescribers” who would be responsible for educating patients, particularly on the risks during pregnancy.

But, like other anti-obesity drugs, will Qnexa position itself as a magic bullet of sorts that creates a façade of disappearing weight without addressing the importance of a healthy diet? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites more than one-third of adult Americans are obese (35.7 percent), a statistic that correlates with the rise in processed and fast foods along with the increasingly limited access to fresh foods defined by the USDA’s “food desert” map that estimates more than 13 million Americans don’t have easy access to healthy food.